Oilers vs Kings betting predictions nhl odds

Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings Betting Preview

Can the Defense of the Los Angeles Kings Hold Down the Powerful Edmonton Oilers’ Offense?

The Edmonton Oilers will head to the Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night to take on the Los Angeles Kings in a Pacific Division matchup. This will be the fourth and final regular season encounter that these two teams will have, as the Oilers have won two of three games against each thus far, including a 4-3 home shootout win on March 30. Edmonton is third in the Pacific Division (39-25-5, 83 points), while Los Angeles is second in the Pacific Division (38-23-10, 86 points) so far. 

Both of these teams are looking to solidify their playoff positioning, so this will be a great sign. Let’s take a deeper dive into the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings to determine where we should be placing our bets. 

Can the Centers of the Edmonton Oilers Dominate In This Matchup?

The Oilers are doing incredibly well offensively as they are averaging 3.46 goals on 33.7 shots thus far. A huge reason why has been because of the production of center Connor McDavid as he is currently tied for sixth in the NHL in goals, tied for second in all of hockey in assists, and the league leader in points as he has recorded 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) while adding nine points in his last five games. 

The defense as a whole needs to work a little harder as Edmonton is giving up 3.25 goals on 31.9 shot attempts right now. Goaltender Mikko Koskinen has struggled throughout the season as he has a 25-10-3 record with 3.10 goals allowed per game and a .902 save percentage. 

Los Angeles offensively is being led by center Anze Kopitar as he is tied for 34th in the sport in assists and tied for 50th in the NHL in points as he has posted 59 points (18 goals, 41 assists) with just two points in his previous four games. They are scoring 2.80 goals on 35.2 shot attempts throughout the season as a team. Goalie Jonathan Quick has been struggling a bit as he is 17-12-9 with a .909 save percentage and 2.66 goals allowed per game. Defensively, the Kings are allowing 2.75 goals on 28.6 shots thus far. 

Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings Betting Prediction

These teams are playing well, but a huge thing is the ability to play well and limit the amount of shots on goal against them. The biggest difference is on the defensive side of the ice, as the Oilers are giving up 4.5 goals in their previous four games while the Kings are allowing 3.2 goals in their last five games. Edmonton is 32-37 against the spread this season, while Los Angeles is sitting at 42-28 against the spread. All in all, go with the Los Angeles Kings to cover the puck line in their own building.


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* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.